Spring-counterbalancing mechanism.



J. H. DEARBORN. SPRING COUNTERBALANCINGMECHANI APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. l9l6- RENEWED mu Patented July 17,1917.

IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY srnnte-counrnnnnmncme mac 1:: M

U n Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July Il'l, llml'lo 1916, Serial No. 86,177. Renewed June 12, 1917. Serial No. 174,409. 2 i

To all whom itm y m: I sents a truncated cone clutch member of the Belt hows that EPE H. DnARBoRN, ordinary type, adapted to slide longitudia cltlzen of the Unlted States, residing at nally on the shaft 2 and automatically held Cleveland, 1n the countyof .Cuyahoga and in engagement with the member 3 by the ex- 5 State of Ohlo, have invented acertaln new pansionspring 4. The yoke lever 5 fuland useful Improvement in'fS ring-Councrumed at 6 and swiveled to the collar 7 terbalancmg Mechanism, of 'wh chfthe folwhich is loosely mounted in a channel of lowing s a specification w the hub 1, provides means for disengaging .Thls invention relates to counterbalancing the clutch member, by compressing the in or compensating mechanism adapted to spring 4 when power is applied, to the memovercome, W1th a reduced force, the ressure ber 5 in the direction of arrow Fig. 1. of a sprlng that operates expansive y for a The part of the mechanism above degiven purpose, when it is desired to comscribed is old and well known in the art and press or reverse the action of said spring, onlv forms a part of the present invention in 15 the object of the invention being the pro- '1ts comblnatlonwlth the other elements, the

' sure.

vision of. simple, durable, and eflicient means salient features of the Improvement consistwhereby a comparatively small amount of ing in the means for operating the member power is required to counteract a greater 5 against the pressurev of the spring 4. power of the operating spring. In order to insure a positive engagement 2% e invention consists in the combination of the members 1 and 3, in practice a very and arrangement of a series of co-acting lestill orhigh pressure spring 4 is employed. vers, spring, cams, and connecting members, In the ordinary method of releasing the; whereby the application of a comparatively clutch a simple lever has been used, one arm light pressure on an actuating member re-'- of said lever being connected by a connect- 25 sults 1n the compression of the operating ing rod with the yoke 5'and said lever bespring which is of greater expansive presing actuated by pressure on the free end or in other words on the arm on the opposite While there is a broad range. of utility Side of the fulcrum. This necessitates a for the present invention, it is particularly pressure on the free end of the actuating le- W adaptable and eficient-in the operation of var equal to, more or less than the expan- 86 automobile clutches, therefore the improveslvc pressure of the clutch operating spring, ment is illustrated in the accompanying according to'the relative proportions of the drawings form a part of this specificatwo arms of the actuating lever. I reduce tion as an embo lment of spring operative the power required to compress the spring .3 clutch mechanism. 4, by providing a lever fulcrumed at 8 and so the drawings Figure 1 illustrates the having an actuatin arm 9. The arm 10 of co-acting elements of theinventi as mthe lever is'pivotal y attached to a member bled and in their. normal position, certain 11 at 12. The member 11 is providedwith parts being in section. v cam faces 13 and 14 and is adapted to opr M Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of crate between the jaws 15 and 16, the said 9 certain parts of the mechanism in their nor jaws being provided with rollers 17 and 18 mal arrangement. r which in the operation of the device bear on Fig. Sis a fragmentary view showing the the opposite sides of the member 11 and relative position of certain parts when the travel on the cam faces 13 and 14. In the t5 operating spring has been compressed the embodiment of the invention as illustrated 0 desired amount. j the two jaws15 and 16 are pivoted, respec- Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of a portively at 19 and 20, but it will readily be tion of the device, and Fig. 5 is a dia amseen that one of the jaws may be stationary matic view shown for the purpose of aciliand the desired result obtained. The rod W tating the understandil hof the initiative 21 provided with a head 22 extends through M5 e I stae of the operation 0 mechanism. the aws 15 and 16 and has an expansion imilar characters of reference are emspring 23 mounted thereon. The head 22 loyed to designate similar parts in the bearing on one side'of one of the jaws and grawings and specification.

' I 4 the, spring 23 bearing on the opposite side 55 Referring now to the drawings, '1 repreof the other jaw and held under tension by the nut24= forces the jaws toward each other.

The spring 23 therefore performs a compensating function, as the tension of said spring is so adjusted that the pressure on th-e'jaws 15 and 16 willcause the rollers 17 and 18, bearing on the cams 13 and 14 to force the member 11 in the direction of arrow.

In the normal position with the clutch thrown into engagement as shown in Fig. 1 the rollers 17 and 18 bear on the longitudinal plain surfaces 25 and 26, their centers being just a trifle beyond the intersection planes of the cams 13 and 14 with the longitudinal surfaces 25 and 26.

Pivotally connected with the lever 5 is a connecting rod 27 provided with a barrel member 28. The member 11 is also provided with a connecting rod 29 having a head 30 thereon, the said head adapted to operate Within the barrel 28. Within the barrel and interposed between the head 30 and the barrel cap 31 are spiral springs 32 and 33, the functions of which will presently be explained.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the parts in the normal position pres sure is applied to the lever 9 as shown by arrow. The initial pressure on the lever carries'the rollers from the position a,-see Fig. 5over the point an to the position b, the head'30 compressing the spring 32. As the rollers travel on thecams 13 and 14 from the positions a to .b and b to 0 under pressure of the spring 23. the angle of incidence decreases, thereby causing a more acute angular thrust on the member 11, and less resistance to the action of the spring 23; however a uniform movement of the member 11 is maintained by the springs 32 and 33, as

during the primary movement of the rollers 17 and 18 the spring 32 is compressing and as the angle decreases the head 30 compresses the spring 33, the increasing resistance of the springs 32 and 33 compensating the decreasing resistance of the thrust. When the springs 32- and 33 are packed or closed the pullis transmitted direct to the lever 5 through the connecting rod- 27, resulting in the compression of the operating. spring 4:, counterbalanced by the spring 23 and the pressure on the actuating lever 9. A variable spring 34- similar to that shown in Fig. 4 may be substituted for the springs 32 and 33 and the same result obtained.

While I have shown and described a practical embodiment of the present improvement, it will be understood that the mechanism is applicable to other purposes and admits of a variety of changes in construc tion, design and arrangement of parts with-. out departin from the spirit of the invention, the limitations being governed by the scope of the claims and the existing state of C1 the art.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.

1. Mechanism for counterbalancing expansion spring pressure, consisting of an opposing member bearing on the spring, a connecting rod attached to said opposing member, a cam member operating between spring compressedjaws, a connecting rod attached to said cam member, resilient connecting means between the two connecting rods, and an actuating lever for operating the cam member in conjunction with the spring compressed jaws whereby compensating force is exerted in opposition to the pressure of the expansion spring.

2. In mechanism for counterbalancing the pressure of a spring operating expansively, the combination of an opposing member bearing on the spring; a connecting rod attached to said opposing member; a spring barrel attached to said connecting rod; a secondary connecting rod extending from said barrel member and under pressure of one or more springs in said barrel: a cam member connected with said secondary rod; spring compressed jaws between which the cam member is operative; tension means for compressing the jaws; and a lever attached to the cam member for operating said member in conjunction with the spring pressed aws.

3. In mechanism for counterbalancing the pressure of a spring operating expansively, the combination of an opposing member bearing on the spring; a connecting rod attached to said opposing member; a spring barrel attached to said connecting rod; a secondary connecting rod extending from said barrel in alinement with the first mentioned connecting rod and under pressure of one or more springs in said barrel; a cam member connected with said secondary rod; spring compressed jaws between which the cam member 18 operative; tension means for compressing the aws; rollers on said jaws that bear on the cam member; and a lever for operating said cam member in conjunction with the spring pressed jaws.

4. In mechanism for counterbalancing the pressure of a spring operating expansively, the combination of an opposing member bearing on the spring; jaw members held under compressed tension; means for maintaining said tension; a cam member operative between said jaws; two alined connecting rods between the cam member and the spring opposing member; compensating 0011-.

necting means between the connecting rods; and a lever for operating the cam member in conjunction with the compressed jaws and in opposition to the said compensating means.

5. In mechanism for counterbalancing the premure of a spring operating expansively, the combination of an opposing member .rbearing on the spfing} jaw membef' s' held. under compressed tension; means formanntemm'fg said tension;

compensating the 'cam' member compressed jagws.

" 1,2339% I Wu;

on. "sai 'j'aws bearing on the cam member;

- two alined connecting rods between 'thecammember-end the sprlng opposing member;

connecting rods and a lever for operating in conjunction with the 6. Inmechanisni for counterba lencing a tlon of a cam' member opera- -t1ve between send aws; antbfl'lCtlOIl means b b I 1 tached connecting means between the spring; jaw members under compressed tenslon; a qompen sating. spring for meinteim. mg said tension; a, cam member opem'tlve etweensaid jaw means between said pr member s; connecting 'cam, membe1'- and the opposing member; andv a, level atingjhe cam member 1n conjunction with'the spring pressed jaws.

p. EPHH. DEARBORN.

go.- o. BIL-mm, V L, Fl GRIswoLn.

to said connecting means for operat- 

